UMass finished 19th in a Times of London survey that ranks the best universities in the world based on their reputation for teaching and research.

Only two other Massachusetts institutions appear in the global Top 20: Harvard, ranked first, and MIT, which placed second.

Surprising? Not to UMass spokesman Robert Connolly.

"I think when you look at the attributes of all five campuses, whether it's Lowell's science and technology programs, the medical school's Nobel Prize winner, Dartmouth being a leader in biofuels and clean energy, or Boston having environmental programs, I think it makes perfect sense," Connolly told The Sun.

The British newspaper's 2011 World Reputation Rankings, released yesterday, are based on a survey of more than 13,000 academic experts in 131 countries. The survey is described by the paper as the first of its kind looking solely at the reputations of institutions for excellence in teaching and research.

In addition to placing 19th in the world, UMass is the 13th highest-ranked American university, according to the survey.

"This tells you that faculty members and academics across the nation and across the world have this august view of the University of Massachusetts," said Connolly. "It's a major statement."